Philip Taft
Encyclopedia
Philip Taft was a noted labor historian whose research focused on the labor history of the United States
and the American Federation of Labor
.
POORLY WRITTEN NEEDS MUCH IMPROVEMENT
. His father died when he was still a young boy. His mother moved the family to New York City, where she took up work as a house cleaner.
Living in youth hostels and traveling the country by hopping trains, he took a long series of odd and day-laborer jobs: errand boy, factory worker, stable boy, power plant worker, ore freighter coalman, farm hand, oil field worker, mule skinner and many more. Taft joined the Industrial Workers of the World
and, while working in the northern Great Plains as a harvest hand, became an organizer. Later he assisted with legal defense of IWW members in New York City where he was befriended by Roger Baldwin
, a founder of the American Civil Liberties Union
.
in 1928. At the age of 26, he enrolled at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
. He graduated in 1932 with a bachelor's degree
in economics
.
Taft then entered the doctoral program
in economics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. In graduate school, he took a job conducting research for one of his professors, Selig Perlman
. Taft's contribution to the work was so significant that Perlman made him a co-author on volume four of "History of Labor in the United States."
Taft earned his doctorate in 1935, the same year "History of Labor in the United States" was published.
Taft worked for the Wisconsin Industrial Commission and the federal Resettlement Administration
before taking a job as an associate economist at the Social Security Administration
in 1936.
Taft was appointed an assistant professor of economics at Brown University
in Providence, Rhode Island
in 1937. He was chairman of the Economics Department from 1949 to 1953.
Throughout his tenure at Brown, Taft sought to use the university's expertise to improve society. In 1950, President Harry S Truman appointed Taft to a committee of experts on the New England
economy under the aegis of the President's Council of Economic Advisors. In 1952, Taft pushed Brown University to join with a newly-formed Rhode Island
businessmen's committee to study the economic problems of the state. In 1963, Taft won a grant from the Ford Foundation
to study the financial difficulties confronting, and the economic impact of, an aging populace.
Taft was appointed in 1961 to a committee on labor-management reports established by the U.S. Department of Labor, where he helped advise the department and draft rules implementing the Landrum-Griffin Act
.
to study the history of the labor movement
in Alabama
.
Taft became an acquaintance of AFL-CIO
president George Meany
, who thought highly of Taft's intelligence and ability to quickly analyze any situation.
Philip Taft died in Providence on November 17, 1976. He was 74.
Taft's "The A.F. of L. in the Time of Gompers," published in 1957, was for many years seen as the definitive history of the American Federation of Labor
. Nearly 50 years later, it is still routinely cited by labor historians.
To many in the American labor movement, Taft was a highly regarded and sympathetic scholar. Two months before Taft's death, George Meany summed up the labor movement's gratitude by writing, "Generations of students will continue to benefit from your scholarship and understanding of the economic, social and human aspects of the world of work."http://www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/Databases/Encyclopedia/search.php?serial=T0010
In 1977, Cornell University instituted the Philip Taft Labor History Book Award
prize. The highly sought-after and prestigious annual award goes to a book of original research which explores
Taft's papers are maintained at the Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, which is housed at the Catherwood Library at Cornell University
. The records consist mainly of research notes which Taft gathered while writing manuscripts. The archives include numerous original documents found nowhere else. The records are particularly detailed in regard to labor organizations outside the United States; the AFL-CIO's foreign affairs policies; maritime unions; labor's involvement with the National Industrial Recovery Act
; the National Labor Relations Board
; organized crime
and unions; labor and the steel industry; teacher unions; and labor's involvement in national mobilization and economic policy during the two world war
s.
Labor history of the United States
The labor history of the United States describes the history of organized labor, as well as the more general history of working people, in the United States. Pressures dictating the nature and power of organized labor have included the evolution and power of the corporation, efforts by employers...
and the American Federation of Labor
American Federation of Labor
The American Federation of Labor was one of the first federations of labor unions in the United States. It was founded in 1886 by an alliance of craft unions disaffected from the Knights of Labor, a national labor association. Samuel Gompers was elected president of the Federation at its...
.
POORLY WRITTEN NEEDS MUCH IMPROVEMENT
Early life
Taft was born in 1902 in Syracuse, New YorkSyracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
. His father died when he was still a young boy. His mother moved the family to New York City, where she took up work as a house cleaner.
Living in youth hostels and traveling the country by hopping trains, he took a long series of odd and day-laborer jobs: errand boy, factory worker, stable boy, power plant worker, ore freighter coalman, farm hand, oil field worker, mule skinner and many more. Taft joined the Industrial Workers of the World
Industrial Workers of the World
The Industrial Workers of the World is an international union. At its peak in 1923, the organization claimed some 100,000 members in good standing, and could marshal the support of perhaps 300,000 workers. Its membership declined dramatically after a 1924 split brought on by internal conflict...
and, while working in the northern Great Plains as a harvest hand, became an organizer. Later he assisted with legal defense of IWW members in New York City where he was befriended by Roger Baldwin
Roger Nash Baldwin
Roger Nash Baldwin was one of the founders of the American Civil Liberties Union . He served as executive director of the ACLU until 1950....
, a founder of the American Civil Liberties Union
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
.
Education and career
Taft attended night school in New York City and obtained a high school diplomaHigh school diploma
A high school diploma is a diploma awarded for the completion of high school. In the United States and Canada, it is considered the minimum education required for government jobs and higher education. An equivalent is the GED.-Past diploma styles:...
in 1928. At the age of 26, he enrolled at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
. He graduated in 1932 with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
.
Taft then entered the doctoral program
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in economics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. In graduate school, he took a job conducting research for one of his professors, Selig Perlman
Selig Perlman
Selig Perlman was an economist and labor historian at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.-Early life and education:Perlman was born in Białystok in Congress Poland in 1888...
. Taft's contribution to the work was so significant that Perlman made him a co-author on volume four of "History of Labor in the United States."
Taft earned his doctorate in 1935, the same year "History of Labor in the United States" was published.
Taft worked for the Wisconsin Industrial Commission and the federal Resettlement Administration
Resettlement Administration
The Resettlement Administration was a U.S. federal agency that, between April 1935 and December 1936, relocated struggling urban and rural families to communities planned by the federal government....
before taking a job as an associate economist at the Social Security Administration
Social Security Administration
The United States Social Security Administration is an independent agency of the United States federal government that administers Social Security, a social insurance program consisting of retirement, disability, and survivors' benefits...
in 1936.
Taft was appointed an assistant professor of economics at Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
in Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
in 1937. He was chairman of the Economics Department from 1949 to 1953.
Throughout his tenure at Brown, Taft sought to use the university's expertise to improve society. In 1950, President Harry S Truman appointed Taft to a committee of experts on the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
economy under the aegis of the President's Council of Economic Advisors. In 1952, Taft pushed Brown University to join with a newly-formed Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
businessmen's committee to study the economic problems of the state. In 1963, Taft won a grant from the Ford Foundation
Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
to study the financial difficulties confronting, and the economic impact of, an aging populace.
Taft was appointed in 1961 to a committee on labor-management reports established by the U.S. Department of Labor, where he helped advise the department and draft rules implementing the Landrum-Griffin Act
Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act
The Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 , is a United States labor law that regulates labor unions' internal affairs and their officials' relationships with employers.-Background:...
.
Retirement and later life
Taft retired from teaching in 1968. He maintained an office at Brown, however, and continued to conduct research. In 1975, Taft was awarded a Guggenheim FellowshipGuggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowships are American grants that have been awarded annually since 1925 by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts." Each year, the foundation makes...
to study the history of the labor movement
Labor unions in the United States
Labor unions in the United States are legally recognized as representatives of workers in many industries. The most prominent unions are among public sector employees such as teachers and police...
in Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
.
Taft became an acquaintance of AFL-CIO
AFL-CIO
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...
president George Meany
George Meany
William George Meany led labor union federations in the United States. As an officer of the American Federation of Labor, he represented the AFL on the National War Labor Board during World War II....
, who thought highly of Taft's intelligence and ability to quickly analyze any situation.
Philip Taft died in Providence on November 17, 1976. He was 74.
Impact on the field of labor studies
Taft was and remains a well-known and highly respected labor historian. His The Structure and Government of Labor Unions was the first work to rigorously detail the organizational structure and governance practices of American labor unions, and is considered a fine application of organizational theory to labor unions.Taft's "The A.F. of L. in the Time of Gompers," published in 1957, was for many years seen as the definitive history of the American Federation of Labor
American Federation of Labor
The American Federation of Labor was one of the first federations of labor unions in the United States. It was founded in 1886 by an alliance of craft unions disaffected from the Knights of Labor, a national labor association. Samuel Gompers was elected president of the Federation at its...
. Nearly 50 years later, it is still routinely cited by labor historians.
To many in the American labor movement, Taft was a highly regarded and sympathetic scholar. Two months before Taft's death, George Meany summed up the labor movement's gratitude by writing, "Generations of students will continue to benefit from your scholarship and understanding of the economic, social and human aspects of the world of work."http://www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/Databases/Encyclopedia/search.php?serial=T0010
In 1977, Cornell University instituted the Philip Taft Labor History Book Award
Philip Taft Labor History Book Award
The Philip Taft Labor History Book Award is sponsored by the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations in cooperation with the Labor and Working-Class History Association for books relating to labor history of the United States...
prize. The highly sought-after and prestigious annual award goes to a book of original research which explores
- ...the history of workers (free and unfree, organized and unorganized), their institutions, and their workplaces, as well as scholarship that explores the ways in which broader historical trends have shaped working-class life, including but not limited to: immigration, slavery, community, the state, race, gender, and ethnicity.http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/taftaward/aboutAward/
Taft's papers are maintained at the Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, which is housed at the Catherwood Library at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
. The records consist mainly of research notes which Taft gathered while writing manuscripts. The archives include numerous original documents found nowhere else. The records are particularly detailed in regard to labor organizations outside the United States; the AFL-CIO's foreign affairs policies; maritime unions; labor's involvement with the National Industrial Recovery Act
National Industrial Recovery Act
The National Industrial Recovery Act , officially known as the Act of June 16, 1933 The National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA), officially known as the Act of June 16, 1933 The National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA), officially known as the Act of June 16, 1933 (Ch. 90, 48 Stat. 195, formerly...
; the National Labor Relations Board
National Labor Relations Board
The National Labor Relations Board is an independent agency of the United States government charged with conducting elections for labor union representation and with investigating and remedying unfair labor practices. Unfair labor practices may involve union-related situations or instances of...
; organized crime
Organized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
and unions; labor and the steel industry; teacher unions; and labor's involvement in national mobilization and economic policy during the two world war
World war
A world war is a war affecting the majority of the world's most powerful and populous nations. World wars span multiple countries on multiple continents, with battles fought in multiple theaters....
s.
Solely authored works
- The A.F. of L. From the Death of Gompers to the Merger. Hardback reprint ed. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1959. ISBN 0-3749-7714-3
- The A.F. of L. in the Time of Gompers. Hardback reprint. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1957. ISBN 0-374-97734-8
- Corruption and Racketeering in the Labor Movement. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University, 1970. ISBN 0-87546-247-2
- Economics and Problems of Labor. Harrisburg, Pa.: Stackpole, 1942.
- Labor Politics American Style: The California State Federation of Labor. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1968. ISBN 0-674-50800-9
- Organized Labor in American History. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1964. ISBN 1-299-44114-9
- Organizing Dixie: Alabama Workers in the Industrial Era. Reprint ed. Greenwood, Colo.: Greenwood Press, 1981. ISBN 0-313-21447-6
- The Structure and Government of Labor Unions. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1954. ISBN 1-135-56116-8
- United They Teach: The Story of the United Federation of Teachers. Los Angeles: Nash Publishing, 1974. ISBN 0-8402-1331-X
Co-authored works
- Perlman, Selig and Taft, Philip. History of Labor in the United States, 1896-1932. Volume Four, Labor Movements. New York: Macmillan, 1935.